Kollabsible Kubaton
The Kollabsible Kubaton was born out of a request by a fellow gadgeteer from another country. He was in need of a self defense tool that could be easily disguised to avoid confiscation. This one pictured oversized working model created from 5/8" diameter 6061 Aluminum. All beads are 1" in length except the double which is 2" in length. Each bead is on an individual paracord lanyard with a bail on one end and a Walker knot on the other. Each bead is machined to look different (some are fluted, some have dots, and there is a keg bead) to avoid the appearance that they fit together. The double bead is machined together to give it the appearance of being a single bead with no function. To utilize them remove the lanyards by pulling the knotted end of the lanyard. After removal be sure to retain the lanyard from the double because it will be needed to make the kubaton function (notice that it has an extra knot on one of the tails). Untie the Walker knot from the lanyard that came from the double bead. Thread the non-knotted end through the crenelated end of the crenelated bead. The remaining beads can be placed on the paracord in any order with the recessed end always facing the knotted end of the paracord. The double slips on last. Once the beads are on the paracord push them toward the knotted end using as much pressure as you can making sure each bead seats in the previous bead then tie off the paracord. You can use a standard knot or you can use a knot that leaves a loop creating a pinkie lanyard to reduce the likelihood of having it slip from your hand. At this point you have a pretty stable weapon but it would certainly flex under heavy use. The double bead solves the stability problem by acting as a spreader. The top portion of the double bead threads upward. Because all the beads are now trapped between the two knots, the spreading action creates significant tension on the paracord which in turn stabilizes the beads making them comparable to a solid product. One of the other interesting capabilities of this design is that users have the ability to determine the length of the kubaton by adding or removing some or all of the center beads.
